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TRAPPING 




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BY WALTER L. ARNOLD 




TRAPPING 




BY WALTER L. ARNOLD 



J 1 & 



Copyrighted 1921 by 
Walter L. Arnold 



iC!.A622647 

SEt ;i 



A MESSAGE TO THE AMATEUR TRAPPER 

Some men are born trappers, they are successful from 
the beginning. To some others success in trapping is a 
hard goal to reach, yet they stick to it and learn the 
"in's" and "out's" of the game and are finally rewarded 
with success. Some of the best trappers today are men 
that spent several years on the trap line, with the furs 
they secured scarcely paying for their board. And then 
there are those who never seem to be able to accomplish 
anything on the trap line, they never seem to be able to 
find the secret of successful trapping*. They sometimes 
think that the reason the other fellow is so successful is 
because he uses some mighty, non-resisting scent that 
no furbearer can pass by. They are forever trying to 
obtain this secret and thus continue blindly working on 
shrouded in this senseless illusion. 

Now the number of furbearing animals that you can 
induce to put their feet on the pans of your traps are not 
entirely ascertained by the kind of scent you use. Many 
successful trappers use no scent at all for "coon," mink, 
fisher, muskrat, skunk etc. However, I think a good scent 
is a help, and about the best scent in most "ases is the 
musk of the kind of animal you are trapping. I do not 
class foxes in this list as I would not care to attempt to 
make a living trapping foxes without a good sc-nt, but a 
good scent for foxes is easy to be obtained. I have listed 
four diffenent scents under fox trapping. Nov/ any good 
trapper can use at least one out of the four with success 
in any part of the country. Here in this section of 
Maine where I am located, all four of these scents arq 



4 TRAPPING 

When you come to learn them the secrets of a successful 
trapper are very simple. However, the simple, yet vital, 
secrets are nearly always overlooked by the amateur trap- 
per. 

What I have found to be the most important require- 
ments are: To be a willing worker, a lazy man will never 
make a success of trapping. To study the habits of the 
animals you are trapping, and to make all sets as free 
from new signs as possible, endeavoring to leave no trace 
of human scent. 

Now what I mean by studying the habits of animals 
you are trapping or going to trap is, to study them in 
your own section, you can learn some things about them 
by i v eading, but in the different sections of the country the 
habits vary, and then again the habits of animals in 
your own section, vary. All the mink in your section are 
not the same any more than all the people in your sec- 
tion are the same. If any of the readers of this book are 
fur farmers they know as well as I that this statement is 
true. 

If you are in doubt just how to commence to study the 
habits of the animals you want to trap, here is a plan. 

When you see a track make a note of it, the date, place 
and what kind of a track it is. When you catch a mink, 
fox or any fur bearer note the bait used, place it was 
trapped, date, and if it was a land or water set. Keep 
your eyes open and anything that you notice that is of in- 
terest and make a note of it. After a while you will find 
you have learned that most of the mink that go up a 
certain stream will nearly always visit certain places. 
That the foxes have beats on the south side of certain 
hills, etc., etc. You will find this information very im- 
portant in making sets. 

Now I do not mean that you are to make a note of 
every track in the woods, such is not the case. You will 
find if will take but a few minutes every evening to 



TRAPPING 5 

think of many of the tracks and other notes of interest 
you have observed during the day, and make a note of 
them. If you carry out this plan for a year or more you 
will find it the best investment of time you ever made. 
Now as to making- sets and leaving them without new 
signs, I can not tell you how, that is something you have 
got to learn yourself. The longer you trap and keep 
your eyes open the easier it will be for you to make good 
sets. 

When you are to make a set look around and see if you 
have picked out the best place, i have seen very poor 
mink sets made, where three feet from that place would 
be an ideal place all formed by nature. No trapper can 
tell you where to put your trap unless he is there with 
you. It is up to you to learn for yourself, if you are 
not successful the first time try again. Don't keep 
changing trapping grounds but stick to the same one, 
then when you have learned of a good place for a set 
you can use the next season and each season you wiii 
learn new places and your catch will increase. Do not 
try to specialize on one kind of animal. Keep an eye 
out for all kinds and learn to trap them. ' 

Do not let yourself get careless about making sets 
and say "I guess that is good enough." Be sure before 
you leave it that it is good enough. Sometimes when 
your hands are cold and you find that the mice have 
eaten all the bait at a set, do not say "I'll bait it next 
time," but bait it right then and there. If you come to a 
set that is overflowed, caused by a sudden rise of water 
do not pass by without looking at it because you do not 
want to wet your feet. Get in and dig out the trap, you 
may save the best mink skin of the season by doing so. 

The trapper's life is not the easy going, lazy sort of 
a life that some are inclined to think it is. Those who 
make a success of trapping are going to find that there 
is a lot of hardship and work mixed up in it and that 



6 TRAPPING 

they have got to use their heads as well as their leg's if 
they want success to knock at their door. 

SPRING POLES 

In making sets for fur bearers that are inclined to 
gnaw their feet off in the traps, it is a good plan to use 
spring poles. For the trappers that read this hook and 
do not know about the spring pole I will give a few 
instructions. 

For raccoon, fisher, etc., cut a pole 15 or 20 feet long 
the diameter of the top of pole, the end the trap ring is 
to be fastened to should be about 1 1-2 inches. A small 
spruce tree usually makes the best pole. 

To fasten the pole into position, drive a spike through 
it about 9 feet from the end the trap ring is fastened 
to, if it be a 20 foot pole. Now place the pole against 
a tree 4 or 5 feet from the ground and drive the spike 
into the tree. 

The trap ring should be securely nailed onto t'ae end 
of the pole. At the entrance of the trap house drive 
down a stake, drive a small spike into the stake about 
one foot from the ground leave about 1 1-2 inches of 
the spike protruding from the stake, pull the top of the 
pole down and catch under the spike. When an animal 
gets into the trap it will soon release the pole in its 
struggles and the pole will raise the animal off the ground. 
After the pole has been fastened to a tree pull down the 
top end to see if the butt end is heavy enough to raise an 
animal off the ground, if it is not more weight can be 
added by lashing a block of wood to the butt end of the 
pole. 

Care should be taken that there is not a tree near the 
trap house that the animal can reach after being raised 
off the ground by the spring pole. I have known of fisher 
and Coon winding the trap chain around a small tree sev- 
eral feet from the ground and gnawing themselves free. 



TRAPPING 7 

If spikes are not available hay wire may oe used to 
fasten the pole to a tree but it is not advisable to use 
strings as the squirrels are apt to cut them off. If the 
pole is fastened to a tall tree the wind will sway the tree 
and sometimes release the end of the spring pole at the 
trap house and the trap will be found hanging up with 
nothing in it. 

Some trappers drive down a crotched stake and fasten 
the spring pole into it, that is a good method but care 
must be taken that the stake is securely driven into the 
ground. 





TRAPPING FOXES 



Foxes can be caught in runways. They follow the 
same paths you do and are not afraid of your tracks 
generally if there is no bait or scent around. You can 
make blind sets within eight or ten rods of old dead 
horses, etc., and get a few foxes this way but don't set 
too near the bait. Set traps out in a rain storm. Out- 
side of the snare I think the water set is the best. The 
snare is more effective than a steel trap if handled right, 
some of the biggest catches of foxes I have known of 
being made were with snare.?. 

For a water set cut a greoa hardwood stick about 
two feet long small enough so the ring of the trap will 
go over it. Fasten ring middle way of stick or clog. 
Many trappers use grapples; I used to and lost foK.es 
with them. Sometimes a fox will make a few jumps 
and the grapple will hook into chain or trap, the fox win 
then go a mile or so before getting hung up. With a clog 
they are always near your set. Use No. 3 traps. You 



TRAPPING 9 

need a pair of hip rubber boots, a mason's trowel or 
wooden paddle eight or nine inches long, a clean wooden 
box to keep your bait and scent in, also trowel or paddle 
when not in use. Go to a brook or the outlet of a spring, 
wade up to the spring or up the brook, find a dry, clean, 
low bank. With the trowel dig out or build up the bot- 
tom so that the traps will set just under water, six 
inches from shore. Lay the clog on the bottom about 
nine inches from trap and build up mound on it. Some- 
times I find a rock with moss on it I lay on clog with top 
of rock out of water but don't have a rock very heavy, 
not over eight or ten pounds. If you don't use a rock 
use whatever there is on bottom, leaves or moss; have 
mound out of water. On this place bait and scent. Cover 
trap with leaves, wet ones so they will stay there. With 
trowel get a piece of moss about two inches square. Nov/ 
here is a trick, place the moss on trencher of trap next 
to end of trap next to bait. If moss is near end of trap 
next to shore many times you will only find one or two 
of Mr. Fox's toes. The moss must be out of water so 
there will be a dry place for the fox to step. Jaws of 
trap must not be parallel with bank, if so they will throw 
the animal's foot out and not catch it. I thinlk th© fox 
is the most difficult of all animals to trap and the secret 
of trapping them consists of leaving your sets without 
any trace of human scent or any visible signs the fox 
will notice. Always scour blade of trowel in bottom of 
brook before making set, and touch nothing with your 
hands near the set, always use trowel for carrying leaves, 
moss, etc. 

Now for bait and scents, clear skunk's musk is a 
mighty good scent. Rotten cat bait is good, also rotten 
fish; I prepare a scent for foxes, however, that I consider 
the best of anything I ever used, and have it for sale $1 
per bottle, shipped by mail. When using rotten cat or fish 
use no other bait but use small birds, mice or fish with 



10 TRAPPING 

skunk's musk or "Arnold's Fox Scent." Keep fresh 
scent at your sets, put on a few drops of scent every 
three or four days. You wonder which to use. Use what 
the other trappers are not using-, foxes in a section will 
get wise to a certain scent, so use different kinds. To 
make cat bait kill and skin a cat, cut meat into small 
pieces one inch long and one-half inch Wide and thick, 
put in running water a few hours to take away the scent 
of your hands and then put into glass jars and bury in 
the ground. This should be done in the spring or early 
summer and bait should be left buried until you need it 
in the fall. To keep from losing its strong odor which is 
apt to happen after taking jars from ground, keep the 
covers on very tight. 

Another good scent is to put into a glass jar two field 
mice you have skinned out and cut into pieces, the musk 
glands of one skunk and the musk glands of several 
muskrat, bury this in the ground and let rot all sumner 
or until you are ready to use it. 

In making sets for foxes always leave your sets looking- 
natural, learn to make a set quickly without a lot of un- 
necessary treading around, learn to make your sets look 
as if they belonged there, as if they were put there by 
nature. If you have never trapped foxes don't expect 
big* catches the first year. 

A LAND SET FOR FOXES 

To make a dry land set for foxes either in the woods 
or fields, set trap on top of knoll or hassock, have a clog 
or grapple fastened to chain. Cover trap with whatever 
there is on the knoll. Do not make any new signs 
around trap, get the leaves, etc., that you cover trap 
with at a distance from trap. After you have made these 
pets, wait ten or twelve days before putting out bait or 
scent, unless there comes a rain that will kill all scent 
you have left at trap. 



TRAPPING tl 

When you put out bait keep as far as possible from 
trap, throw bait into a hollow about twenty feet from 
trap. If you wish you can set two or three traps around 
one bait; however, do not set any nearer than twenty 
feet from bait. A fox coming- up to a bait will try to 
see it from a distance and will go up on every little 
knoll and tread around trying- to see the bait. He is not 
expecting a trap at a distance from bait and gets caught 
before he suspects one. 

This set can be used in different ways. Traps can be 
set in small paths and bait thrown into brush piles and 
between rocks, etc. This set can also be made in winter; 
set out traps in a snowstorm, put tissue paper over them 
so they will not freeze up. Of course if too much snow 
falls it will block up trap but anything under six inches 
unless there is a crust. Throw out bait at time of mak- 
ing snow sets. I find the best places for these snow sets 
are rocks in streams and ponds that causes the ice to 
rise up in places and form knolls two or three feet high. 
Foxes are sure to go up on these places about every 
night whether there is bait there or not. 

I generally boil my traps in hot water to kill all scent 
possible. Sometimes I use traps that I have left out for 
a year. If traps have been well boiled in hemlock ard 
fir boughs with alder bark, they will not rust if left out 
for a year in a fairly dry place. They then smei] of the 
woods and game is not afraid of them. Do not visit dry 
land sets too often. I let them g-o for a week sometimes. 
Try to visit them when it is wet or snowing. 

For bait and scent use the same as described in water 
sets. Use strong traps, I advise nothing smaller than 
No. 3. In throwing out bait walk straight by traps, do 
not tread around, try and walk in same place when look- 
ing at traps. 



12 



TRAPPING 



SNARING THE FOX 

To make a success of snaring foxes you have got to 
know something about foxes and know the places they 
are ' most apt to be found in your section, Look your 
ground over in the winter, you can tell by the tracks 
where they stay most. 

Now one of the most important points is to get the 
right kind of wire. Get No. 24 SOFT BRASS wire and 
nothkig else. Take a plank and drive two twenty-penny 




Snare Set, Shewing Spring Pole, Snare and Stay Sticks 
that Held Snare in Place 

spikes into it twenty inches apart, have one spike you 
can pull out with your hands. Fasten end of wire to one 
of these spikes, leave about 1 1-2 inches of end of wire, 
free. Now 1 run the wire to and around the other spike 
and back to starting point. Wind the wire around the 
spikes four times making eight strands in all, cut the wire 
off, leave an inch or so to wind around the. eight strands 
next to spike also wind the other loose end around the 
eight strands next to spike. Now pull out the loose 
spike still keeping the wire on it. Now twist the wires 
by turning the spike; turning clear around sixteen or 
seventeen times will make it about right, sometimes it 
may need a little more. Now cut up some hay wire 



TRAPPING 13 

about six inches long- to fasten snare to spring' pole. The 
sets should be made during the summer so all signs will 
be old by fall. Get into thickets as much as possible to 
make sets so they won't be so apt to be found by other 
hunters or trappers. N«w you will have to use your own 
judgment as to the places to make sets. Sometimes 
you will find some big* rocks with runways between them 
or you can set over an old log that you think a fox will 
walk the length of when he smells a bait. Sometimes 
at the edge of a hill there will be a steep ledge, at the 
bottom is a good place. 

Your success in snaring will depend a lot on your 
judg*ment in picking out the best places to make sets. 
When you have decided on a place, if there is no path, 
clean out a narrow trail a foot wide, if you cut any bushas 
cut them next to ground and cover stump with leaves or 
moss. Now make a hedge out of dead limbs or brush, 
you don't have to use much. Have hedge run seven or 
eight feet each side of path into woods leaving opening 
in path about seven or eight inches wide. Plan to have 
the opening beside a tree so as to have a chance to set 
the spring pole. Now go out on the path artywhere from 
15 to 30 feet and make another hedge the same as the 
first. Throw in some brush parallel to the path from the 
end of one hedge to the other, do this on both sides of 
path, dead evergreen trees are the best. Lay them down, 
they form a hedge yet do not look suspicious to a fox. 
Many times you can find places in old cuttings •where the 
hedges are partly made. Making sets between two ledges 
or rocks you only have to hedge from one rock to the 
other. If you have to build all the hedge don't over do 
it. It does not take much brush to keep a fox out and in 
the path as long as there is no clean clear opening through 
the hedge; a dead fir or spruce tree laid down and a few 
fir or spruce 'limbs stuck into the ground in places will 
make quite a bit of hedge. 



14 TRAPPING 

For a spring pole get a hard wood tree about two 
inches at the butt and \ x k inches where it is cut off, ten 
or twelve feet long. Sharpen out the butt end and drive 
it slanting into the ground near hedge, small end over 
path and about five feet from the ground. It takes a few 
minutes to get it set just right so when you 
pull the small end down it is just about one- 
half inch away from tree it is to be set on. 
Most trappers fasten a spring pole by running 
the end of pole across trunk of tree and under nail driven 
into tree. In this case if animal gets into trap or snare 
and pulls the pole against the tree the pole will not be 
released and the animal will wind around the tree and 
gnaw out of trap or bite snare in two. To overcome this, 
don't let the pole reach the tree by one half or three- 
fourths inches. Drive a ten penny nail into tree leaving 
two inches of it out, hew top side of end of pole so it 
will be flat, it will then stay under nail and will be re- 
leased very easily either way the animal pulls. Now 
there is something to watch out for here; if spring" pole 
is set to tall tree the wind swaying tree will release it so 
use small short trees or stumps for this purpose. Drive 
the nail into tree so that when spring pole is set it will 
be about thirteen inches abovr- the path. Take snare 
wire, you have a loop in each end where spike was, put 
one end through loop in othsr end which makes the snare. 
Now take a piece of hay wire and put through the free 
bop and fasten snare to spring pole over path. .The 
loop of snare should be 5 1-2 inches in diameter and bot- 
tom of snare 5 1-2 inches from the ground. Get two 
twigs about seven inches long as small as you can get 
them, split one end and stick them into the ground each 
side of snare, open up split ends and place snare in them, 
this holds snare in place. It is quite a trick to get both 
twigs set so they hold the snare and . yet have snare in 
required position. Twigs want to be smooth and not 



TRAPPING 15 

stuck in middle of path but to one side slanting in to 
snare. When preparing sets in summer or early fall get 
everything ready but do not put snares on to poles and 
it is well to leave poles sprung until about fifteen days 
before you want to bait up sets, then put the snares on 
and set poles. 

To bait sets walk along the outside of hedge and throw 
bait between two snares. Put fresh scent at the sets 
about every twelve days. Do not walk around the snares 
any more than you have to, when you look at sets and 
are not g - oing to bait them go just near enough to see 
whether they are all right or not and then walk on and 
do not look at them much oftener than once a week. 
Sometimes there will be three or four paths leading into 
place where you want to bait. If so put out three or four 
snares. 

A good set is this. If you kill a deer try and get it 
into a natural place for snare sets then dress off the deer 
and put out three or four snares from ten to twenty-five 
feet from the inwards of the deer with the least possible 
signs. Now to some this will not sound much like 
catching foxes but at least half a dozen times I have 
known of foxes taken the first night in that way. I know 
that many fox trappers laugh at the idea of snaring 
foxes. I used to, but after two of as caught 42 foxes 
in two falls, 39 of them with snares, I decided it was not 
as much of a joke as it might be. 

Do not set a snare without a good stiff spring pole, 
you will lose every fox if you do. You will get many 
kinds of game in snares: skunks, raccoons', rabbits, hedge- 
hogs, etc. I never knew of a wild cat being held in one. 
We have got them in snares but they always break away 
regardless of spring- poles. 

We are not allowed to snare in the state of Maine any 
longer so the steel trap is what we have to use, but I 
am in hopes that I can teach others that do have the 



16 TRAPPING 

right to snare so they can benefit by the snare. Here are 
some points in favor of the snare; the rise and fall of 
water does not bother them like it does steel tiaps set 
in water; the snare does not freeze up about the time 
foxes are real prime, traps in water co; the snare sets 
are good even when there is six inches of snow and you 
can take 300 in your knap-saclk and start out setting 
them up. You don't carry 300 foxes traps in your 1-rt.p- 
sack and you can attewd to a line of S00 snares as easy 
as you can attend to 30 fox traps ra water. The fox 
is not on to the snare business yet but good many of 
them know what a steel trap is no matter where it is. 
Your snares are away from the bait, the fox gets into 
them before he knows it. Try them out and be convinced. 





TRAPPING MINK 

Unless set in runways where there is no bait or scent 
used all traps should be set under water. To make a set 
on a small brook find a narrow shallow place get some 
dry sticks or limbs, stake across the brook leaving an 
opening* middle way about five or six inches wide. Set 
trap in opening - under water. Put a fresh fish on the end 
of a stick and put over trap, about eight or nine inches 
above trap. Do not put stakes too near tog-ether, about 
thi'ee fourths of an inch apart so water will run through 
all right and not all of it through opening where trap is. 

Another set is to take a fresh fish about one-fourth or 
one-half pound weight, run a piece of hay wire into its 
mouth and out of tail. Fasten the fish to the bottom of 
brook or stream, if it is possible let back fin or tail stick 
out of water just enough so mink will scent it. Set»a trap 
each side of fish. 

But many times you will want to make a set for mink 
where it is impossible to fasten a fish down. You have 
seen holes through the ice in streams, etc., where you 
know mink go in but you can't get a good set there. Well, 



18 TRAPPING 

I have it after studying several years and it is simple, 
but it does get the mink. Get a piece of chicken wire 
about 18 inches square. Most wire is 20 gauge, get 16 or 
17 gauge if you can as it is stronger and will not double 
up. Smoke this wire and traps with birch bark or boil them 
in hemlock and fir boughs with alder bark. 

Do nnot use anything bright with this set. Fasten a 
fish about one-half pound weight middle of wire, fasten 
a trap each side of fish. Take a piece of hay 
wire six or eight feet long and fasten the two trap rings 
together with one end of any wire. You have a set now 
that you can drop into running water or any place you 
want to. You do not get your hands wet in zero weather 
and the set is good in three or four feet of water. Use 
the hay wire to fasten to shore or aything on the ice so 
the set will not be carried away with any animal in it. 

In preparing sets along the banks of rivers and ponds 
for mink, use old logs etc., to make houses for traps. 
Manv tim a s yon can fWl nlaces und^r old logs or rocks 
all mad° to nut tram into. I find th^t o~ie of the most 
successful sets i ; to make a hou=:e out of rocks. You can 
easilv set up a few rocks and m?ke a housp and yet there 
pre no n Q w signs to scare away a mink. Always make the 
house so that the trap can be s Q t u i id Q r water, fasten ban 
i« back of house and after set is made .splash water over it 
to kill all human scent. Sometimes it is advisable to 
make sets along the shores by not using any kind of a 
house, just stake a fish or muskrat down securelv at the 
waters edge and set a trap in the water by the bait. 
If possible make this set by standing in the water and 
then after set is hitI" splash water on it, every few days 
take away the stale oait and put a fresh one there and 
you will be surprised at the results obtained from a few 
of these sets. 



TRAPPING 19 

I have good luck with mink setting* in runways, under 
roots at the water's edge under shelving banks. Some- 
times there will be a log across a brook in the water. 
Sometimes there will be grass or weeds on the old logs, 
make a little path if there is none over the log and set 
trap. Th?re are many such places, don't be afraid to put 
a few traps in such places without bait or scent, you get 
the oldest and slyest mink this way. Sometimes bait or 
scent arouses the suspicion of the old sly mink. For traps 
use No. 1 or 2, the latter preferred, of jump traps of any 
make or No. 115x Triple Clutch traps. Cover traps 
when possible. Always cover out of water with grass, 
moss or leaves, but if smoked and blacked up it is not 
necessary under water. 

As for bait and scent, I prefer fresh fish to any other 
bait, however, muskrats and rabbits are good bait. When 
a bait gets stale I take it out and put in a fresh one. 

When you want to use scent, use mink's musk, trout 
oil, or "Arnold's Mink Scent." The musk glands of a 
Xnhik are found at the vent, cut them out and put in ? 
small bottle, mash them with a stick so as to get the 
musk out of the glands. If you can get the druggist to put 
ir. half an ounce of pure grain alcohol you will then have 
a first class scent, put all the musk glands of mink you' 
get into this bottle, if you can not get the alcohol use the 
musk clear. 

To make trout oil, cut up trout enough to fill a quart 
jar, screw cover on pretty tight and leave in a cool place 
where the sun will not reach it. This should be done in the 
spring then in the fall you can drain off the oil into a 
oottle, this amount should be sufficient for a trapper for 
one season. 

I have trapped mink and raised them and have put in 
many hours to watch and study them. I find that there 
is a weakness that is characteristic in the mink family. 
A mink, no matter how shy it is, that once starts to 



20 TRAPPING 

take a fish or any food that it wants, will, in a very short 
Hme, lose all sense of caution if the food is securely 
fastened so that the mink can not tear it away. In a few 
seconds the shyest mink will be spitting, tugging at the 
bait, jumping from side to side and sometimes rolling 
over and over trying to tear the bait free, this is when 
a well set trap makes a catch. Many trappers will doubt 
this statement, because, they have seen the tracks of 
mink where they have gone into a house and come out 
and gone on their way without g'etting into the trap or 
taking the bait. The reason for that, however, was be- 
cause there was not the food in there that the mink want- 
ed so there was no reason for the mink to get excited. If 
you make a study of mink you will find that ninety-nine 
times out of a hundred that a mink goes into a set and 
starts to take a fresh fish or bait, you will find the mink 
in your trap or the bait gone. 

I know there are some mink you can not get into a 
house. Those are the ones to make the blind and water 
sets for and if you learn their runways it won't be long 
before you will have their pelt on a board. In making a 
mink set of any kind try and do so with the least pos- 
sible signs, if you use a lot of green newly spotted sticks 
to make a house of, it only scares away the game and 
shows Johnny Sneakum where your traps are. 




OTTER 

These animals spend much time in the water aloag the 
streams and ponds. They are great travelers and always 
have a route through a chain of ponds and along streams 
that they travel over, making this circuit in, from one to 
three weeks. At some points they leave the water and 
go overland to another stream or pond. 

At various points along their route they c»me out of 
the water to play. At most of these" places they have 
what are called "Slides" or "Gourges." The location of a 
slide is selected where there is a bank by the water where 
the otter can slide down into the water. They slide m 
these places many times when they visit them, some- 
times these slides are used for years and are worn deep 
into the ground. 

Many times their paths will be found in marshy or 
boggy land, and as a rule they will visit springs near the 
streams or ponds. 

Some of the signs of otter that will be observed are, 
the slides which are wore into the ground, around these 
slides will be found Utile piles of moss that have been 
dug up. The feces will also be in evidence. It is always 
soft and in it will be observed fish scales, etc. At the 
springs they visit will be found the little piles of moss 
and the feces. 



22 TRAPPING 

A set made in an otters path in a marsh, if one can be 
found, is about the surest set made. A trap can usually 
be set under water in a puddle in the path and fastened 
to a bush drove down in the grass at one side of path. 
This set can be made quickly leaving no fresh signs and 
the dampness of the ground will soon take up all human 
scent. Sets made under water at the slides, where the 
otter slides into the water are those most frequently made 
by trappers. To an amateur this would appear to be a 
sure set for the otter, but after one has had the ex- 
perience of trapping otter it will be learned that they are 
not easily trapped. 

When they slide they slide on their breast and for- 
ward part of their front legs, their front legs are under 
them or against their sides. This is the reason that so 
many trappers find their traps sprung and with a few 
spears of hair in them. Their traps are set in the middle 
of the slide and it is the otter's breast that springs the 
trap. Traps should always be set so the pan is on the 
edge of trail or slide. An otter does not walk or run the 
way most animals do, it steps wide, its feet are on the 
sides of the trail. Sometimes their paths in the marshes 
will resemble the trail of a very narrow wagon, with 
wheels seven or eight inches apart. 

To make a set at spring where there is no path or 
slide, set the trap in the water where you think the otter 
will go in, if this can not be done, set it where they play 
and dig up moss, cover the trap well with moss and try 
to fasten it without leaving signs of stake, etc. Ail 
traps for otter should be boiled in boughs to make them 

black and should be covered with moss, leaves, etc. when 
set. The otter has a very keen sense of sight, of scent and 
hearing, so utmost caution should be used in making sets 
to not disturb anything the animal will notice. It is a 
good plan to carry a dish along when making sets and it 

should be used after making sets to throw water over 



TRAPPING 23 

all your works. Otter are easily frightened away from 
their slides, and once frightened, may not return ag-ain 
during the season. Never pass up a fresh otter trail in 
the woods that is far from the water, the animal can ba 
overtaken and shot, many of them are killed in this way. 
I know of one case where a full grown otter was over- 
taken and killed with a club. An otter in a trap will do 
quite a bit of digging, but very little gnawing-. They have 
very weak jaws and sometimes break them if they try to 
gnaw out of a trap. They are very strong animals, their 
legs and feet being very smooth they many times pull out 
of weak spring traps. They feed upon grass and lily roots, 
clams, fish, etc., but cannot as a rule be taken with baited 
sets. For traps the No. 415x is my choice, however, 
No. 3 and No. 4 of standard makes are used by most 
trappers. 





SKUNKS 

Skunks are trapped mainly around fields, pastures and 
ir. the woods near settlements. They are not shy of 
traps as a rule and are easily trapped. 

Without doubt the best set -is, the den set. When dens 
are found that the skunks are using, scoop out the dirt 
making a bed for trap in the mouth of the den. Cover 
the trap with leaves, grass or fresh dirt. One is not 
always sure that a den is being used, to ascertain this, 
place a couple straws across the entrance. If they are 
found brushed away the next day the den is being used. 

Skunks are pretty sure to be working on the carcass of 
any animal in the field or edge of woods. Sets can be 
made at the side of carcass or cubby houses built twenty 
or thirty feet from it and chicken heads, feathers, etc., put 
into it and trap set at entrance of house. 

Around stone walls, fences, log piles etc., are good 
places for sets. Build a cubby house out of rocks or junks 



TRAPPING 25 

of wood, bait with entrails and heads of chickens, dead 
hens, rabbits etc., a few feathers scattered • around the 
set will sometimes arouse the curiosity of a skunk and 
cause it to get into the trap. 

For scent use rotten meat of any kind. I think the 
meat from the carcass of one large' muskrat with the 
musk glands of several muskrats put into a jar in the 
spring of the year and allowed to rot during the summer is 
about as good as any scent for skunks. For traps use 
No. 1 or No. 1% of any standard make. There are many 
times that skunks will gnaw their feet off on the under 
side of jaws of trap and then pull their feet out of the 
trap. This can be prevented by using the No. 115x 
Triple Clutch traps. 




l//i ' -A\A 




TRAPPING MUSKRAT 

The trapping- of muskrat in marshes is much easier 
than trapping them along the banks of clear water 
streams and ponds. , 

In the marshes the feeding* grounds!, runways and 
houses are easy to locate and traps placed in these places 
and covered with grass, moss etc., are about the only sets 
needed. But along streams and ponds where there is 
little or no marsh land the foods they feed on such as 
grass roots, lily roots and clams are found under water. 
It takes considerable time and care to trap them in very 
large numbers. If the entrance of their dens can be 
located, traps may be placed in them with good results, 
however, most states prohibit the setting of traps at 
muskrat dens. 

Set in places along - the shores where they come out 
to eat, these places are recognized by the presence of 
clam shells, grass roots, etc. 

Old log's that are in the water with rat droppings on 
them are fine places for sets. Cut a notch into logs to 
set traps in, under water if possible, and where it is evi- 
dent that the rats climb up on to log. Dp not disturb the 



TRAPPING 27 

droppings and use no bait as one or more rats are psob- 
ably coming up on the logs every night. 

Where there are no logs to make sets on one can take 
a piece of plank a foot wide and three feet long, anchor it 
where the rats will notice it, set one or more traps on it 
and cover traps and plank with grass, also put a few 
pieces of apples or carrots on for bait. 

The carcass of a muskrat staked at the waters edge 
with trap set by it under water makes a good set for rats 
as well as mink. 

Trapping rats under the ice is rather slow work. Sets 
may be made at entrance of dens if dens can be located, 
but this is not an easy task as generally river rats mak^ 
their dens on the banks, the entrance being under water. 
A good set is to find the feeding ground, cut through the 
ice and make sets on chicken wire the same as described 
for mink, use carrots, parsnips and parts of muskrats for 
bait. For all sets that are made where the rats can not 
get into the water to drown, use the Two Trigger Traps. 
For other sets use No. 115x Tripple Clutch, or No. 91% 
Victor traps. I have also used the Stop Thief trap in 
runway sets with success. 

Always if possible stake traps with chain out in water 
so rats will soon drown as they will very often twist their 
feet off if allowed a chance to do so. 

For scent use anise oil, Muskrat musk or "Arnold's 
Muskrat Scent." Do not use scent by runway sets or 
sets made near the rat droppings. Do not use new bright, 
traps, color them dark in the same way as described in 
mink trapping. It is not necessary to cover traps under 
water but should be covered when set out of water. 

The musk glands are found mostly on male rats in the 
spring' of the year, not by the vent as is the case with 
most fur bearers, but on the body about an inch from 
vent. They are easily located and should be saved and 
put into a small clean bottle, they make the best of scent 
for most any fur bearing animal. 







ERMINE OR WEASEL 

Where the tracks of this little fur bearer are once seen 
around brush piles, old camps etc., are good places for 
sets as the weasel visits the same places over and over 
again. It may be three days or it may be three weeks 
but they are pretty sure to come back. They are not shy 
like most fur bearers, so are easy to trap. 

The one secret of trapping them is to have the trap set 
so that the least touch on the pan will spring the trap. 
the smallest trap No. should be used. They should bt 
kept well oiled and the working parts free from rust so 
they will spring very easy. 

Fresh meat is good bait, but there is nothing any better 
.than a piece of fresh, bloody rabbit. 

Make sets under brush piles, old logs, around old camps 
etc., fasten bait so it can not be dragged away, set trap 
side of it, do not cover the trap as that will only help to 
block it. Stand up boughs all around the set and against 
log or whatever set is made side of. No opening need be 
left as a weasel will scent the bait and dig in. The snow 
will not block a set that is well boughed in. 



TRAPPING 



29 



For scent put the musk obtained from weasels into a 
bottle with a little coon's, badger's or other animal grease. 
This will make as good a scent as can be bought anywhere. 

I think that weasels vary in size more than any other 
fur bearer. I have trapped in one season a 11 inch and 
a 25 inch weasel. The ermine and weasel are the same 
animal. In the fur market the prime wkite skins are 
known as ermine, the brown as weasel. 





RACCOONS 

During the summer and early fall, coons are found 
around the shores of lakes, ponds and streams. But about 
the time that fur gets prime the coons disappear, this 
leads many trappers to believe that this animal is shy and 
hard to trap. I used to have this belief until I once had 
the occasion to trap in the summer when they were 
around the shores of the lake every night. In this state 
(Maine) several years ago the law came off from coon 
the 15th of Aug-ust. I wanted some alive for breeding 
purposes so proceeded to set a few traps, I caught eleven 
in just a few days. They were the easiest things I ever 
trapped. I caught old ones as well as young. 

When the weather commences to get cold in the fall the 
coons stay closer to their dens, the traps set where signs 
were plenty during the summer will yield but a few pelts 
during the fall. If their dens can be located sets can be 
made in spring brooks and other places where they are 
apt to travel. 



TRAPPING 31 

To make sets around the shores of ponds and streams, 
make a hedge with boughs and brush, fr«m the water 
back towards the woods. Leave an opening in it eight 
inches wide, set trap in the opening and cover it with 
leaves, etc. Strew pieces of apples, fish, meat, et-\, each 
side of hedge and through opening*. Mink and fox sets are 
always good for coon. However, some coons will pull out 
of the small mink traps. Good sets can be made in a nat- 
ural formed houses, such as hofiow logs, stubs, under roots 
between rocks etc. 

Fish seems to be their favorite food. They like meat 
of any kind but a porcupine cut open and hung up side 
of a tree makes about the best meat bait. Rotten fish 
makes a good scent and most any scent used for foxes is 
good. I have found by experimenting with coons in 
captivity that they are very fond of the smell of muskrat 
musk, however, this would not be strong enough to call 
them from a distance. 

No weak spring traps should be used. Use No. 2 and 
No. 3 of standard makes. The 215x is a fine trap for this 
animal. 

Traps should be securely fastened to clog or s.pring 
pole, a large coon will gnaw and tear up things equal to 
a small bear. They will soon foot themselves and escape 
if allowed the time to do so. Traps should either be vis- 
ited every day or spring poles should be used that will 
hold the coons foot up so it can not gnaw and twist the 
foot off. 







WILD CATS 

The success of trapping these animals lies as much ? in 
the making of sets where they will be found by these ani- 
mals, as in any thing else. 

Of all the animals I have ever trapped, I believe the 
Wild cat is the coldest scented of them all. I think many 
trappers misunderstand the animal in this respect, and 
that is the reason that so many are inclined to believe, 
that the wild cat is shy and hard to get into a trap. 

My experience with them has been that if they come 
face to face with a well made set, they are pretty sure to 
go in after the bait if they are hungry, if they are not 
hungry and leave it they are pretty sure to be back in a 
few days after it. 

Those not accustomed to the habits of this animal may 
inquire as to where wild cats will be found. As near as 
I can judge it makes but little difference to the animal, 
what kind of a country it is in as long as there are plenty 
of rabbits and other game it can secure for food. 

They will be found on the tops of heavy timbered 
mountains, in the swamps in low ground, and also, at the 
edge of the fields and almost at your door. 



TRAPPING 33 

A friend of mine trapped three in one week at the edge 
of a field within half a mile of his home. However^ as 
a rule they will be found around swamps where the 
rabbits are most plentiful. 

The question arises among some hunters and trappers 
as to whether wild cats will kill deer or not. i will say 
that they may not in all sections of the country hut they 
do in this state (Maine). I have known of them doing so 
several times. In one case I know of one wild cat killing 
two deer in one day, a doe and a fawn. 

There are several ways of making sets. The wild cat 
has a habit in winter of walking in its old tracks, espec- 
ially when it is near its den or a bait it is feeding on. 

When there are reasons for believing that such a place 
has been found a good set can be made by going up to 
the tracks and slipping a trap wrapped up in tough tissue 
paper under one of them, a wooden clog three or four feet 
long should be fastened to chain. When going up to 
tracks try to do so where you can reach over an evergreen 
tree to make set. 

Sets may also be made at a carcass that cats are feed- 
ing on. Set two or three "traps around carcass and cover 
them with hair, leaves etc., that are around the carcass. 
Try to leave the place looking the same as before sets 
were made. 

One, however, can not always find places to set in tracks 
or around baits that cats are feeding on. Regular sets 
must then be made. 

If four trees can not be found in the right position drive 
down four stakes four feet apart, forming a square* fasten 
small poles across the tops and cover with boughs, fir, 
spruce, etc. Leave the sides open. This house should be 
about four feet high. With wire hang up a rabbit inside 
a couple of feet from the ground and set trap under it. 



34 TRAPPING 

This is the set used by most trappers as they believe a 
cat will not go into a closed house, the same as made for 
fisher etc. I think that the reason that most cats are 
taken with this set is, because they notice it and see the 
bait more often than they do a closed house against a 
tree or rock. The above reason is a good argument 
against the common closed or cubby house, however, the 
cubby house has one advantage over the open house, that 
is, the snow will not be as apt to blow in and block the 
trap. In making sets where there is danger of snow blow- 
ing into them, I use the cubby house and I find that wild 
cats will go into them when they find them. 

The best way to cause the cats to find the sets is to 
make a trail that they will follow, this can be done by ob- 
taining a lot of fresh blood from some one who is killing 
some domestic animal, strew this blood along your trail 
between the traps, also shoot every rabbit you can. 
Cut them open and shake the blood out of them along 
the trail. Fill them up with snow and as it melts shake it 
out, then cut the rabbits up into pieces and leave along 
the trail. A cat that runs into one of these trails is not 
going to pass it up. 

For traps use No. 3 and No. 4 of any standard make. I 
have found that the 415x triple Clutch bear trap is an 
ideal cat trap. They can not get out of it and a little 
snow will not keep the jaws from coming together allow- 
ing the cat to escape. 








WOLVES AND COYOTES 

There are two species of wolves in the United States, the 
Gray or Timber and the Prairie or Coyote. Probably 95 
per cent are coyotes. The two species are being: classed 
under one heading in this book. 

The wolf like the fox is very cautious and is not easily 
led into a trap. The utmost care and caution must be 
taken to induce this sagacious animal to put its foot onto 
the pan of a trap. 

The trapping season, baits and scents vary in different 
sections. In some southwestern sections the fur is not 
prime until into November, in some northern sections it 
is prime around the first of October. 

In some sections domestic fowls are good for bait, in 
others they are worthless. However, jack rabbits and 
porcupines are nearly always good bait, and of course the 
carcass of a horse or other large animal. As a rule the 
Timber wolf prefers fresh meat and the coyotes are more 
fond of decayed meat. 



36 TRAPPING 

Scents that are winners in some sections are worthless 
in others. Some of the scents used are the musk of 
muskrat, mink, skunk and beaver, also the musk glands 
of the wolf. Sometimes several of these scents are mixed 
tog-ether. It is advisable when using the musk of animal 
to put it into a bottle or jar with the oil of some animal 
such as badger, porcupine or bear oil. Badger or porcu- 
pine oil will be found the best as it will not harden as 
quickly in cold weather as other oils. Some trappers save 
the contents of the bladder from the wolves they trap and 
sprinkle it around some of their sets. It is up to the trap- 
per to learn the best baits and scents for this section. A 
porcupine cut open and the quills singed off usually 
makes a good bait, also any wild fowls. 

Preparations should be made early in the season for 
sets. If rocks are to be used for clogs they should be 
placed where the sets are to be made, hollows should be 
scooped out to set traps in, runways prepared and every 
thing done that can be done three weeks or a month be- 
fore traps are set out. 

If trapping is to be done on a range where there are 
domestic animals, the traps should be buried in the 
manure of such animals that use the range, traps should 
be left in this for two weeks or more. If trapping is to 
be done where there are no domestic animals then kill 
the scent by first boiling traps in clean water and then 
rubbing them with sage leaves or the boughs and leaves 
of any bushes or trees in that section. Do not use any oil 
on the traps it will only warn the wolf of danger. 

Use No. 3 and No. 4 traps, especially the No. 4 for 
the timber wolf. Cover the traps with unused butter 
paper before placing sand leaves, grass, etc., on them. 

Blind sets are used extensively by successful trappers. 
These are made in trails on high points of ground and if 
in a dry section, near water holes. If sets are being made 



TRAPPING 37 

near a water hole do not place traps nearer than 75 or 
100 feet from such places. 

Make several sets in places that the animals are apt to 
go when going to and coming from the water hole. It 
is well not to use any bait or scent near these sets. 

In making sets near the carcass of an animal like a 
horse or steer it is best to place several traps around the 
carcass but at a distance from it, thirty or forty feet 
from the carcass. It takes an expert trapper to make a 
business of setting traps close to a carcass and catching 
wolves in them. 

Sets can be made by placing bait in a bunch of bushes 
and setting several traps around and several feet from 
the bait. When setting traps around a bait always try to 
set where you think the wolf will travel when going to 
and coming from bait. 

Like the fox the wolf is fond of getting up onto knolls 
and high points of ground to make observations, such 
places near a bait are always good places for sets as the 
wolf is not expecting danger at a distance from the bait. 

The "Camp Fire" set is a good one, set the trap and 
cover the same as in making any set, but use sand or dirt 
so the covering will not be burned off the trap. Place a 
bunch of grass over the set and put a few small pieces of 
meat or cheese in the grass and set fire to the grass. This 
will scotch the bait and the scent of this will call a wolf 
from a distance. The fire will also kill the scent left 
when the set was made. Care must be taken to not 
over do this set. If a wood fire is made the trap is apt 
to get badly burned and warped out of shape. 

In making sets the utmost caution must be observed, 
the place of set must be left in a natural looking state 
and free from human scent. That is the reason that it is 
important to have places prepared several weeks in ad- 
vance for sets. One can then walk straight up to a place 



38 TRAPPING 

and place the trap in the hollow scooped out, cover it up 
and walk on without leaving- any new signs or scent. Clean 
g'loves should be worn, these and also the soles of the 
shoes or rubbers worn should be rubbed with sage leaves, 
or the boughs or leaves of any bushes in that section. 
After a set is once made keep away from it, do not go 
nearer than absolutely necessary to look at it, if possible 
go on horse back. It is a good plan to go on horse back 
when making sets. Have a piece of canvas to lay on the 
ground to stand on when making sets. To smooth over a 
set use the wing of a duck or any fowl. 

Bear in mind at all times that you are matching wits 
with an animal that is just as shrewd as the fox and to 
trap him you have got to outwit him. 

It is useless to make pens or any other contrivance to 
force the wolf into, you simply can not force him into 
such places and the making of them will prove to be 
time wasted. 





FISHER OR PAKAN 

The Fisher or Pakan is the largest of the weasel family. 
The name fisher leads many to believe that it is an 
animal that is found near the water. This, however, is not 
the ease The fisher is found in the heavy timbered 
country in the mountains. It is a great traveler and 
never spends much time in one place. It generally has a 
circuit or route that usually takes the animal from one 
to two weeks to travel over. 

Sometimes it visits the dense swamps, but as a rule 
the best places for sets are along the edge of hardwood 
growths, where it joins with the soft wood. 
^ The most important thing to do is to locate the grounds 
the fisher travels, this can be located by the animal's 
tracks There will be certain places in a fisher country 
where one will find that nearly every fisher will visit when 
in the country. 

A fisher that has never been in a trap is not hard to 
catch but it is hard to hold. They will soon chew their 
feet and legs off and escape from most any trap smaller 
than a bear trap, if a spring pole is not used. A spring 
pole should be heavy enough to lift a fisher off the ground. 
For bait, fresh meat of any kind is good, but porcupine 
is the best, muskrat, rabbits, partridges etc., are all good 
bait, ,...:■-■•■ 



40 TRAPPING 

For scent use trout oil or a scent made by putting sev- 
eral muskrat musk glands, porcupine musk and two mice 
into a jar and bury in the ground for the summer, 

In making sets sometimes a hollow stub or tree may be 
found that will do for a house but in most cases a cubby 
house has to be made against a tree or rock. Make wails 
by standing up dead junks of wood, cover top with a 
piece of birch bark to keep the rain from beating through 
onto the trap, cover over with boughs from fir, spruce 
etc. The house should be about ten inches wide, two feet 
long and a foot and a half high inside, should face the 
south to prevent snow from blowing in and blocking trap. 

Use No. 2 or No. 3 traps of any standard make, and 
make sure that the ring of trap chain is securely fastened 
to end of the spring pole as a fisher is noted for the 
amount of gnawing and tearing up things in general it 
will do. 

There are some trappers who obtain many fisher, yet 
do not trap for them. Such trappers or hunters make a 
business of following the animals when they find a fresh 
track. If a fresh trail is found in the morning it is a 
pretty safe bet that the hunter or trapper will have the 
pelt, before dark. As a rule a fisher travels at night and 
goes into a hollow log or under roots to spend the day. 
After they have been followed in they are dug out, ur if 
in a tree the tree is cut down and the animal is shot. 
Sometimes they get away and it may be a couple days 
before they are finally run in and killed. 

A man that makes a business of following fisher is al- 
ways equipped with a light ax, a blanket, rifle or shot 
gun and two or three days provisions. Some of the old 
three footed fishers that will not go near a trap are ob- 
tained in this way. 







TRAPPING MARTEN 

The"marten has the habit characteristic in the \veasel 
family, that is, where you have found signs of tiiem 
once you are pretty sure to again within a few days or 
weeks. 

One of the best winter sets is to drive two pegs into 
a tree about five inches apart and four or five feec above 
the snow. Set trap on pegs and hang bait on tree a foot 
or more above trap, do not cover trap but trap should be 
well blacked up by smoking or boiling in boughs. Lay a 
dead piece of wood or a pole three feet from base of tree 
to trunk of tree about eight inches below trap, and sprin- 
kle fresh blood of some kind on snow and on pole up to the 
trap. 

Good sets may also be made in hollow logs .md stumps, 
or a house may be made for trap by tramping down the 
snow at the base of a tree and a house made of dry limbs 
and evergreen boughs, the inside of house should be six 
inches wide, one and one half feet long and eight inches 
high. Cover sides with plenty of boughs so snow cannot 
get in, put a piece of white birch bark over top if you 
can obtain it in your section of the country, and cover 
with boughs. This will keep the rain off the trap and it 



42 TRAPPING 

will not freeze up. Have opening of house facing' the 
south so west winds will not blow snow into the house and 
block trap. .Set the trap about six inches inside of house 
on boughs, cover with dry moss. Place bait in back of 
house. For bait use rabbits, fish, fresh meat, birds etc., 
also get some fresh blood when some one is butchering 
and use this to sprinkle around the trap. It is also good 
for trail scent, for not only marten but for fisher and 
wild cats. For traps use No. 115x and Triple Clutch, 
these are the best traps made for marten. 










BEAR 



There are two seasons for trapping bear during the 
year, spring and fall trapping. 

After remaining in its den all winter and awakening 
from its several months sleep a bear naturally thinks (if 
a bear does think) of its breakfast. They are then hungry 
and are easy to trap as they will smell and come to bait 
from a long distance. There are not the dead deer and 
other animals in the woods now that there are in the fall 
so bruin has to look elsewhere for most of his breakfast. 

The diet of a bear in the spring of the year consists 
chiefly of bog onions and other roots, also beech nuts if 
any can be found left over from the past fall, fresh fish 
when they commence running up the brooks and what 
carrion that can be found that other animals have not 
eaten during the winter. 

To make a set, cut up some junks about four feet long 
from dead logs etc., stand them up against a rock or tree 
making a house or "hut" about two and one half feet 
wide and five feet long inside. Place the bait in the back 
end of house, use meat of any kind, porcupine preferred, 
molasses, honey, fish etc. When baiting trap make a 



44 



TRAPPING 



small fire and scotch some of the bait, salt codfish is 
good to scotch, a bear will smell it from a long' distance. 
Place trap in entrance of hut, do not set the trap so that 
the bear will have to step over one of the jaws of the 
trap, as the jaw when it snaps up may throw the bear's 
foot out of the trap. Jaws of the trap should be parallel 
with sides of hut. To cause the bear to place its foot on 
the pan of trap, cut two sticks about two feet long, drive 
them down each side of, and have them slanted across the 




Set for Bear Showing Guide Sticks, Pan of Trap and Clog 



entrance. They should cross at the middle of entrance 
about five inches from the ground. Pan of trap should be 
seven or iight inches back of this V and should be covered 
with moss. These sticks are called guide sticks and after 
a little experience with them a trapper can use them in 
making sets for most any furbearer. A bear trap should 
always be covered with leaves and a piece of moss about 
four inches square placed over the pan. 

The making of a hut for bear traps to be set in is re- 
quired by law in most states, but the most effective set is 



TRAPPING 45 

not to make a hut, set the trap between two big trees 
that are about two feet apart, hang the bait on the trees 
and make no new signs. This set will get the sly old 
fellows that will not go into a hut. 

Where one bear has been caught is, as a rule, a good 
place to catch more. There are always certain swamps and 
runways that bear travel in each year. After one of these 
places has been found it is a good plan to set traps there 
each year. There will be patches o* bog onions that beat 
will work in each year. Find these places and have sets 
waiting for bruin when he comes to these places. 

It is rather hard to get bear to take bait in the ,fall, 
they have had all the berries, nuts, meat etc., they have 
wanted and as a ru'e take no chances eating dinner where 
things look a bit suspicious. 

A No. 5 Newhouse, is about the best all around trap for 
common black bear. Never try to fasten trap so bear 
cannot get away from hut with it. Use a clog. Cut a 
small hard wood tree about four inches at the butt, ciit off 
a piece about six feet long and slip ring of trap over one 
end and fasten with .small spikes about one foot from end 
of clog. A bear will drag this sometimes a mile but the 
trail they leave can easily be followed. 



SKINNING, STRETCHING AND CARE OF SKINS 

There are two methods of skinning fur bearing animals, 
"cased" and "open." The skins of most fur bearers 
should as a rule be eased, such animals are the mink, 
fisher, weasel, otter, fox, marten, muskrat, skunk, opos- 
sum, civit cat, ringtail, wolf or coyote and lynx. Wild cat 
raccoon and timber wolves are skinned by both methods, 
extra good skins of coons or wild cats that may be used 
as neck pieces should be cased. Bear, wolverine, mountain 
lion, badger and beaver skins should be open. 

The cased skin is removed from the animal by the fol- 
lowing method. If the feet are not going to be left on the 
skin, cut off the front feet above the toes, then using a 
sharp knife rip the skin of the hind legs from the feet 
to the vent, make the cut on the back of the legs but more 
on the inside. Th:s will leave more heavy fur on the back 
of the skin and increase the value of the pelt. Cut the 
skin around the vent, and if the animal is a coon, skunk, 
otter or wolf, rip open the skin of the tail on the under 
side from vent to tip of tail, in fact, when the fur is vet 
and the weather is warm and mug*gy, it is a good plan to 
cut open the tail of any skin. Now with the thumb work the 
skin lose from the legs and around the hind parts. If the 
tail is split the skin may be removed by pulling on it and 
and using the knife to cut it free from places it sticks to. 

If the skin of tail is not cut open, take a stick a foot 
long and split it half open push it on over the bone of the 
tail next to the body of the animal, grasp the stick in the 
right hand, with the tail between the first and second fin- 
gers. Place the left hand on the body of the animal and 
pull steadily upon the stick and the skin will be pulled off 
the bone of the tail. Now that the hind parts and tail are 



TRAPPING 47 

free hang: animal up by the hind legs, with both hands pull 
and work the skin down, the skin is easily pulled off 
from some animals but there are some that it will take 
fifteen minutes. The knife is used to cut the ligaments 
holding the skin but care should be taken that the skin is 
not cut. After the skin is pulled down to the front leg's 
work the fingers under them and pull them out. If the 
feet have not been cut off skin down to the toes and cut off 
in the joints, now pull the skin down to the ears and after 
they are located cut them off close to the head, the eyes 
will next hold the skin, cut the skin from around them not 
enlarging the apertures any, keep pulling down on the 
skin and cut it from the lips and finally cut the nose lose, 
leave the nose, ears, eta , on the skin. When the skin is cut 
lose from the nose it is fur side in and should be put on 
the stretching board in that condition. 

The skin is removed from the animal "open" by the 
following method: Cut the skin of the hind legs and skin 
out the tail the same as in the cased method then rip the 
skin from the tip of the lower jaw to the vent, then start- 
ing on the inside of the front legs rip the skin from the 
feet to the breast between the two front legs and to the 
cut that runs from jaw to vent, the skm is then removed 
by pulling, cutting ligaments and working with the hands. 
A coon can be skinned out in a few minutes but it will 
take an hour or longer to skin a bear. Never get careless 
and cut holes in the pelt. A few cuts in a valuable skin 
will lessen its value many dollars. The skinning of the 
beaver is a little different, the skin of the legs is not cut 
open, the feet are cut off aiad a cut made from the point 
of the jaw to the vent and the pelt is skinned off over the 
body and legs. 

The tails of beaver, muskrat and opossum are worthless 
and should be left on the carcass. 



48 



TRAPPING 



When removing a skin keep it as free from fat and meat 
as possible. Before it is stretched it should be thoroughly 
fleshed. To do this use a straight edge hunting knife and 
scrape off all fat and meat that has been left jn the skin. 
A skin v/hen being fleshed should be pulled on over a 
smooth board or the stretching board, scrape the skin 
from the head toward the tail. Do not flesh the skin where 
it lays on the edge of the board as it will cut very easy 
there, but keep turning the skin around on the board and 
scraping it with the knife where it lays against the smooth 
surface of the board. 

Open skins can be fleshed after they are stretched and 
nailed upon the walls of the shed or wherever they are 
being stretched. 




Type cf Stretching Beard Used for Cased skins 

On the pelts of muskrats will be found a thin film of 
muscle that seems to be grown to the skin. Do not try to 
remove this as the chances are you will damage the skin 
more than you will benefit it. After the skin is thorough- 
ly fleshed it is ready for the stretching board. The size of 
the board is very important, there is not one trapper in 
20 that stretches his furs on the right sized boards. They 
get the skins too wide or too narrow, or sometimes put 
them on rudely made boards and damage the skins when 
trying to take them off after they are dry. Then they 
kick because they do not get full price for their furs. The 
trapper should bear in mind that the better shape the fui 



TRAPPING 49 

is in the less work it is for the manufacture.' to make it 
up and consequently more money will be paid the trapper 
for such furs. 

The boards should be made of clear lumber, for the 
smaller size animals use one-half inch boards, plane them 
down so there will be a true taper from tne base to the 
tip, the tip should be about one fourth inch thick, the 
edges of the board should be rounded and smooth. For 
the large size animals like the otter, fox, fisher etc, use 
three-fourth inch boards, work them down so the tip oi 
nose will be one-half inch thick. Boards should always be 
smooth and have a true taper so the skins will slip off 
easy after being- dried. To remove a skin fi*om the board 
take the nails or tacks out, grasp the skin on the board 
below the legs, rap the tip or nose of stretcher with a 
block of wood if the board is the proper shape it will 
slide out of the skin. The size of animals vary in the 
different sections of the country so it is up to the trapper 
to decide the size of board to be used. However, for an 
example I will give the sizes of boards that are generally 
used in New England: 







LARGE 






Length 




Width 


Width 




of 




at 


at 




board 




base 


shoulder 


Mink 


35 inches 


4 inches 


BV2 inches 


Coon 


45 


" 


10 


8 


Muskrat 


20 


j? 


6y 2 " 


6 


Skunk 


35 


>) 


9 


8 


Otter 


65 


>» 


91/2 " 


7V2 


Marten 


35 


J* 


4V2 " 


4 


Fisher 


60 


" 


8 


6 1/2 


Lynx 


60 


»> 


10 % " 


91/2 


Weasel 


26 


" 


2% " 


2 



50 


TRAPPING 














4l as 






MEDIUM 


.•i 




Length 




Width 


Width 




of 




at 


at 




board 




base 


shoulder 


Mink 


30 in 


ehes 


3% inches 3 inches 


Coon 


36 


>» 


9 


7 


Muski-at 


18 


M 


5% 


5 


Skunk 


30 


" 


8 


7 


Otter 


60 


J> 


8y 2 


6% " 


Marten 


35 


JJ 


4 


31/2 " 


Fisher 


60 


" 


7 


51/2 " 


Lynx 


60 


>> 


9 


8 


Weasel 


20 


" 


2 


1% " 






SMALL 






Leng'th 




Width 


Width 




of 




at 


at 




board 




base 


shoulder 


Mink 


28, inches 


3 inche 


s 2% inches 


Coon 


34 


)> 


8 


7 


>) 


Muskrat 


16 


" 


5 


4V2 


J) 


Skunk 


30 


" 


6i/ 2 " 


51/2 


" 


Otter 


55 


?> 


8 


5% 


" 


Marten 


30 


" 


3 1/2 " 


3 


' 


Fisher 


50 


" 


6 


5 


» 


Lynx 


50 


" 


8 


17 


» 


Weasel 


20 


" 


1% " 


IV4 


> 



Figures given are inches. 



TRAPPING 51 

SKINNING, ETC. 

The skins of coons that are taken off open should be 
stretched as near square as possible. Beaver skins should 
be stretched round. 

Wire stretchers are sometimes used hut none should be 
used that can rust as they are very apt to rust the fur 
if the fur is wet when stretched and lessen the value of 
the skin. 

The proper place to dry and keep fur is m a cool, dark 
airy room. If dried by artificial heat, the heat will take 
the life out of the fur, and sometimes damage the flesh 
side of the skin. 

Light will fade the fur of most animals so it is advisable 
to keep all skins in as dark a place as possible. 

The handling- of fur after it has been taken by the 
trapper is one of the most important parts of the trap- 
per's work. Many a No. 1 mink has been poorly handled 
and consequently sold for a medium, and many mink and 
otter slightly singed and curled has been dried by the fire- 
side, the artificial heat singling and curling the fur much 
more than it was when taken from the traps and many 
times leave the skin nearly worthless. 

Many local fur buyers make a practice of soaking out 
in luke warm water many of the poorly handled skins they 
buy and stretching them over and getting them into a 
higher grade. Now there is no reason why the trapper 
should not observe a little caution and get that extra $5 
for a fox skin instead of giving it to the buyer, 

A professional trapper is a man that is on the job at 
all times and does not slight any of his work from the 
time he starts looking out his trapping lines in the fall 
until the last skin is sold in the spring. 



ARR 

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ANIMAL TRAP SPECIALISTS 



Every Popular lake 



100 Afferent Sizes 



TWO TRIGGER TRAPS 

Catches and kills at 
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animals of the 
above size. 

THEY KILL 
Will catch and 
hold animals up 
to the size of fox, 
wild cat, coon. 




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Send For Our Big Free Illustrated Catalog 



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A Magazine for 
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Besides articles and stories from leading outdoor writers, each issue 
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Fur News and OutdQor World 



Room 310 



370 Seventh Ave., New York City 



TRAPPERS! 

Let me supply you with steel traps, 
snare wire, animal bait and scents and 
other trapping equipment at rock- 
bottom prices. 

SEND TODAY 

for my catalogue, in it you will find 
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DON'T FAIL 
to try out a bottle or more of 

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They are being used by trappers from 
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results. Scents made for Fox, Mink 
and Muskrat, $1,00' per bottle, three 
bottles for $2.50, postpaid. 

WALTER L. ARNOLD 

I GUILFORD, MAINE 



HEIAU YOU GOING TO START THAT FDR FARM? 



A TRIO OF YOUNGSTERS 

If it is mink that interests you, just write your 
wants. We raise them, teach others how. 

JESSE J. DAVIS 

Breeder and Shipper of Quality Mink 

ST. JOHNSBURY, VT. 



TARMAN'S FUR FARMS 

Boys, we sell and buy 

SILVER, BLACK, CROSS & RED FOXES 

SCENTLESS SKUNKS, MINK, BEAR 

WILD RABBITS, OTHER ANIMALS 

HUNTING DOGS 

Write us. We furnish wire netting especially 
for fur farming and traps for taking animals 
alive. Pamphlet on fur farming, 25 cents. 

QUINCY, PENNSYLVANIA 




National Sportsman 

Is a monthly magazine, crammed full of Hunting, Fishing, Camping and 
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All Breeds of Hunting Dogs and Airedale Terriers 


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Setters and Pointers 

Fox and Gat Hounds 

Wolf and Deer Hounds 

Coon and Opossum Hounds 

Varmint and Rabbit Hounds 

Bear and Lion Hounds 

Also Airedale Terriers 



All dogs shipped on trial, purchaser alone to 
judge the quality, satisfaction guaranteed or 
money refunded. 1 00 page, highly illustrated, 
instructive, and interesting catalogue for 1 
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